Of his own body he was ill, and gave
The Clergy ill example.
“The word Suggestion,” says the Critick, “is here used with great propriety, and seeming knowledge of the Latin tongue”: and he proceeds to settle the sense of it from the late Roman writers and their glossers. But Shakespeare's [pg 192] knowledge was from Holingshed, whom he follows verbatim:
“This Cardinal was of a great stomach, for he compted himself equal with princes, and by craftie Suggestion got into his hands innumerable treasure: he forced little on simonie, and was not pitifull, and stood affectionate in his own opinion: in open presence he would lie and saie untruth, and was double both in speech and meaning: he would promise much and performe little: he was vicious of his bodie, and gaue the clergie euil example.” Edit. 1587. p. 922.
Perhaps after this quotation you may not think that Sir Thomas Hanmer, who reads Tyth'd instead of Ty'd all the kingdom, deserves quite so much of Dr. Warburton's severity.—Indisputably the passage, like every other in the Speech, is intended to express the meaning of the parallel one in the Chronicle: it cannot therefore be credited that any man, when the Original was produced, should still chuse to defend a cant acceptation; and inform us, perhaps, seriously, that in gaming language, from I know not what practice, to tye is to equal! A sense of the word, as far as I have yet found, unknown to our old Writers; and, if known, would not surely have been used in this place by our Author.
But let us turn from conjecture to Shakespeare's authorities. Hall, from whom the above description is copied by Holingshed, is very explicit in the demands of the Cardinal: who, having insolently told the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, “For sothe I thinke that halfe your substaunce were to litle,” assures them by way of comfort at the end of his harangue, that upon an average the tythe should be sufficient; “Sers, speake not to breake that thyng that is concluded, for some shal not paie the tenth parte, and some more.”—And again; “Thei saied, the Cardinall by Visitacions, makyng of Abbottes, probates of testamentes, graunting of faculties, licences, and other pollyngs in his Courtes legantines, had made his threasore egall with the kynges.” Edit. 1548. p. 138. and 143.
Skelton, in his Why come ye not to Court, gives us, after his rambling manner, a curious character of Wolsey:
——By and by
He will drynke us so dry
And sucke us so nye